Vegan intervention?

Sax

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Joined
Mar 21, 2018
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Age
38
Location
Missouri
Lifestyle
  1. Vegan
One of my cycling partners has cancer. He had his prostate removed and went through a round of chemo over winter. He's been riding really strong this season, especially considering he wasn't able to do any off-season training. But after today's ride he told me he got some bad news from the doctor and the prognosis is very much in question. The treatments he said he's in for sound so invasive and barbaric I get the sense they're a last-ditch effort.

I'd like to share some information with him about whole food/plant based diet and cancer. I can't even begin to understand what he's going through though, and I don't know if it would be appropriate. I try not to proselytise veganism...it's generally not effective, and may do more harm than good.

If I was in his position and someone tried to convert me to their religion in order to "save my soul" I would be disappointed at best. It's not right to use someone's mortal vulnerability to push your agenda. But there is actual medical evidence that a WFPB diet could improve his prognosis. There's probably a very small chance that this could be the difference between life and death...but if it just gave him a couple more weeks of decent health, wouldn't that be worth it?

This feels like something that should be dealt with between him and his doctors. I'm no expert. He's not trying to crowd-source his treatment plan. I'd hate to feel like I didn't try to help, but my feelings aren't what's important here. Should I just bite my tongue?

If I say something I want to keep it brief and low-pressure...despite the thread title I'm not going to sit him down and have some heavy discussion about how he's on the wrong path. That would obviously be out of line. I'm thinking of sending him a link to a Dr. Greger video with a suggestion that he talk to his doctors about it. This has got to be a really sensitive issue with him though and I don't want to play this the wrong way.

What would you do? Surely some of you have had friends or loved ones with cancer...did you say anything? If so, what did you say and how did they respond? If not, do you regret it?
 
I have not been in this position so no personal experience... just from what you said above my first instinct is to say "ask him". Ask him if he has had a lot of friends suggesting alternatives and if yes, how does he feel about it and if no, would be be interesting in hearing some ideas? Some people are open and some are not, you'll never know unless you ask.

All the best with your decision and please let us know how it goes.

Emma JC
 
I'm thinking of sending him a link to a Dr. Greger video with a suggestion that he talk to his doctors about it.

Just do this, and let him decide what authority to trust. It's likely that in his mind, the doctor's advice will be greater than yours, simply on presumptions relating to "modern medicine" that are supposed to be altruistic and somehow also secure regular income for doctors, drug companies etc.

In this respect, Greger is a great resource because generally he quotes the sources and shows the science, rather than just resting on the presumption of knowledge that goes with the "Dr." title.
 
Charlotte Gerson is 96 years old.

The 3 characteristics about cancer cells are:

1) They can only use glucose as fuel.
2) They grow quicker in a anaerobic environment.
3) They need protein to grow like any other cell. More protein, more cancer growth.

The quickest way to eliminate cancer cells is by starving them of glucose, taking deep breaths of clean air to oxygenate the body and drink raw carrot juice after fasting.

Interesting studies.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19723050/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24596385/
 
I've decided to keep my mouth shut. After our ride tonight he was talking about a kind of hot dog he really liked, and I was *this* close to telling him processed meat is a class 1 carcinogen but I bit my tongue. While I could drop some factoids on him ultimately he knows hot dogs and the like aren't healthy...he's made his decision, so I'll respect his choice and hope for the best.
 
Tough decision! I do have one question for you.... does he know that you eat a plant-based diet? All the aspects of veganism are important, animals, the environment and health. The first two may not be important to him and yet I am willing to bet the third one is.

If he doesn't already know that you are plant-based then just share with him that you are and when he asks why you can tell him why and let anything else flow naturally from there and back off if you need to or help him if he seems willing.

If he does already know and he knows that it is partially for your health and he doesn't care then staying silent may be best, if he doesn't know ....

All the best with this, I had been hoping you would update us!

Emma JC
 
Send videos, give books. The Krishna's know it's the best form of sharing. Long speechy stuff is taken badly by most except the explicitly interested though some idiots are threatened by casual expressions of opinion (I don't mean your friend, I mean I've seen this blatant stupidity despite the fact they're the Dominant Class.) Its akin to men's rights activism with healthy people but with the terminally ill videos do seem more appropriate.